The present invention generally relates to creating colorant patterns in porous materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to creating colorant patterns in porous materials in a vacuum environment.
In the past, patterns were created in porous materials, such as fabric for clothing, by hand, and by processes such as imprinting, stenciling, silk screening, dyeing, transfer, ink jet, tie dye, etc. Each has drawbacks and limitations. For example, creating fabric designs by hand (e.g., by ink application), by tie dye or by silk screening is time consuming and relatively low-volume producing. As another example, imprinting, stenciling and other similar methods place the exact same design on all the fabric created, resulting in a lack of uniqueness in the finished product, which may not be desirable for some applications. As still a further example, silk screening allows for no variation, is a relatively expensive pattern-creation technique, only allows the application of one color per screen, and lacks full penetration of colorant through fabric.
Thus, a need exists for a relatively fast, low-cost way to produce volumes of at least slightly varying, high-quality, high-penetration colorant patterns in porous material.
Briefly, the present invention satisfies the need for a relatively fast, low-cost way to produce high-quality, high-penetration colorant patterns in porous material with at least slightly varying design in volume, by using flow guides in a vacuum environment to guide multiple colorants simultaneously across and into a porous material to create a pattern with high saturation of the porous material. The guides allow for variations in pattern when repeated with another porous material.
In accordance with the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a way to create a pattern in porous material with colorant.
The present invention provides, in a first aspect, a method of creating a colorant pattern in porous material. The method comprises guiding a colorant in a vacuum environment across and into a porous material to create a colorant pattern therein.
The present invention provides, in a second aspect, a system for creating a colorant pattern in porous material. The system comprises a sealable vacuum chamber with at least one outlet for exiting of the atmosphere, and a template with at least one colorant flow guide for guiding a colorant across and into porous material and toward the at least one outlet when in contact with the template to create a colorant pattern in the porous material.
The present invention provides, in a third aspect, apparatus for creating a colorant pattern in porous material. The apparatus comprises a template with at least one colorant flow guide for guiding colorant along the flow guide when under vacuum.
The present invention provides, in a fourth aspect, a system for creating a colorant pattern in porous material. The system comprises a sealable vacuum chamber with at least one outlet, and at least one barrier gasket for creating at least two zones in the porous material. Each of the outlets is couplable to one of the zones.
The present invention provides, in a fifth aspect, a system for creating a colorant pattern in porous material. The system comprises a sealable vacuum chamber with at least one outlet, and at least one reservoir for providing colorant to the sealable vacuum chamber.
These, and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.